Some-BODY Once Told Me That Shrek Is Getting Rebooted

Beth Elderkin

Well, the reboots start coming and they don’t stop coming. According to Variety, Universal Pictures is working on rebooting the Shrek franchise, including new versions of both Shrek and Puss in Boots.

The magazine reports that Despicable Me producer Chris Meledandri has been tasked with overseeing the reboot of Shrek, which comes after several years of revival and sequel hopes. Meledandri told Variety in a extensive profile that he’s excited to explore the world of Shrek and ideally wants to work with the original cast—instead of bringing in new voice talent—but nothing has been confirmed.

“There’s a tremendous amount of fun to be had in that world, but it’s a high bar to find a story that’s truly world,” Meledandri said. “You want to find something in the narrative that really feels like a departure.”

This might seem like a surprise, but a revival of Shrek has actually been in the works for years. There have been discussions of a possible sequel, following 2010’s Shrek: Forever After, ever since Universal’s parent company Comcast bought DreamWorks two years ago. Shrek star Eddie Murphy even said in 2016 that a script had been completed on a fifth movie, with an expected release date of 2019 or 2020. However, that project looks to be stalled, as Meledandri has taken over the franchise.